If you’ve been looking for sound advice on weight loss programs and diet plans, we have some good news for you. We’ve compiled a top ten list of weight loss tips for women. These tips on losing weight are powerful and proven to get results. Best of all, you won’t find any gimmicks or fads here. Only the best, most accurate and scientifically proven health advice made the cut and has been included in this fitness advice guide.
1) Our first weight loss tip for women is simply to exercise consistently. That may seem like common sense, but only 45 percent of adults are actually following their doctor’s advice and getting the recommended minimum: 30 minutes a day, at least four days a week. After only four weeks of inactivity the body begins to shed muscle mass, and aerobic fitness levels start to diminish after missing only two weeks of workouts. That’s why regular, consistent exercise is our first and most important weight loss tip.
2) Don’t focus so much on fast weight loss. Instead, concentrate your efforts on achieving permanent weight loss. While it may be tempting to try the latest fad diet or prescription diet pill, keep in mind that quick weight loss doesn’t always equate to healthy weight loss. As a matter of fact, when you diet without exercising, up to half of the weight you lose could be from muscle mass. Losing muscle is the absolute worst thing you can do when you’re trying to acquire permanent fat loss, so don’t be tempted by the gimmicks promising rapid weight loss. Focus on permanent weight loss through a sensible diet and exercise program, and you’ll be pleased with the long-term results.
3) This weight loss tip is perhaps the best free medical advice you’ll ever receive: Eat your recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables before indulging in any treats. This diet tip is so potent because it will help you realize better health in so many different ways. First and foremost, consuming at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day will help us lose weight because fiber moves fat through our digestive system faster so that less of it is absorbed. High fiber foods also make us feel full sooner and stay in our stomach longer, slowing down our rate of digestion and keeping us feeling full longer. Following this health tip will also lower your risk of several cancers and heart disease.
4) As much as possible, eliminate ‘white’ foods from your diet. High sugar and high carbohydrate foods create an insulin spike that tells our body to start storing fat. They also trigger a blood sugar high, which is inevitably followed by a low. This drop in insulin levels leaves us feeling hungry, tired, and wanting to eat more. Specifically, at the bottom of an insulin crash the body craves more sugar and carbohydrates, setting us up for a vicious weight gain cycle. With this in mind, it’s good advice to simply avoid ‘white’ foods whenever possible. Choose brown rice instead of white, whole wheat bread instead of white, and cut back on goodies made with white processed flour.
5) Actively seek out all the expert advice on health, diet and nutrition that you can find. There are many reputable sources of online medical advice available, and much of it is free. Knowledge is power, and the more you know about weight loss, the more likely it is that you’ll be successful in your efforts. Look for free advice and fitness tips from qualified sources like health club owners, physicians, and certified personal trainers. In short, learn all you can.
6) Get at least eight hours of sleep each night. Research has shown that people who sleep only four hours a night have an 18 percent reduction in leptin, a hormone that tells the brain there is no need for more food, and a 28 percent increase in ghrelin, which triggers hunger. This is one weight loss tip that should be easy for anyone to follow.
7) Drink water. Drink LOTS of water. Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies show that a decrease in water will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water can actually reduce fat deposits. Why? The kidneys can’t function properly without enough water. When the kidneys don’t function to capacity, some of the work load is taken on by the liver. The liver’s primary function is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy. If the liver has to do some of the kidney’s work, it can’t function at its optimal capacity. As a result, it metabolizes less fat. More fat remains stored and weight loss / fat loss stops.
Although it’s not a workout tip or an exercise tip, staying motivated is probably the most effective weight loss advice you’ll ever receive. Since each person in different, motivational techniques will vary. However, many have found that charting fat loss progress to be very encouraging. Others maintain that the single most motivating action is to find a friend and commit to exercise together. Whatever method you choose, find a way to stay motivated if you want to write your own weight loss success story.
9) Essential weight loss advice for a woman is to not exercise like a man. That may sound strange at first, but the fact of the matter is that there are several separate and distinct exercise methods available, and not all are proper for women. In fact, some types of exercise could possibly cause women to gain weight (although any weight gain would be from added muscle, not from fat). For maximum fat loss, women should be engaging in not only aerobic exercise but also in light resistance training.
10) Our final weight loss tip is to carefully select vitamins and supplements to help you attain your fat loss goals. There are a million diet pills and weight loss pills on the market, but the vast majority of them may not be appropriate for you and your personal needs. Instead of buying what you see on the infomercials, take the time to research what’s effective and what’s not. Most importantly, speak with your doctor before beginning any supplement program. Medical research has given us many breakthroughs in the last few decades, and vitamins and supplements can certainly be a valuable tool in your weight loss toolbox. Take the time to investigate the options and choose wisely.
Although there’s a mountain of health advice available today, our Top 10 Weight Loss Tips for Women are the best, most accurate and scientifically proven recommendations at hand. Take them to heart, and you’ll be well on your way towards fat loss success.
When purchasing any weight loss product, it is important to do your research. Many people are exchanging their opinions about Curves on DietBlogTalk.com
For an additional source, check out Curves on the very popular Sensational.com
Review SummaryIt is likely that many consumers have heard of the women only gym franchise named Curves. This company has exploded in the past several years and is now located in 35 different countries and boasts of over 9,000 locations. The reason for this popularity is likely because these gyms offer women complete cardio and strength training workouts in just 30 minutes and also provide guidance on nutrition and dieting. In addition, due to the no frill atmosphere, membership tends to be pretty affordable and often cheaper than other local gyms.We will take a closer look at this company as a whole and how these gym locations may specifically benefit women who need a supportive and effective weight loss program.Gym at a GlanceAs mentioned, Curves has designed a 30 minute workout that may be ideal for women on the go. This workout involves circuit training and the 30 minutes include the following: a warm up, 20 minutes of cardio at a target heart rate, strength training on all major muscle groups, a cool down and stretching. This 30 minute circuit was designed to burn 500 calories, and it is meant to be completed just 3 times a week for best results.Gym in FocusResearch indicates that circuit training may be an effective fat burning workout, as it gets the heart rate up during the entire exercise. The circuits used in these gyms may vary slightly at each location, but they all use hydraulic exercise machines and also have what they call recovery stations. These types of machines are easy to use since they automatically adjust to the fitness level of each user. This means women will not have to change the weight or settings of the machine before working out, which makes their 30 minutes more efficient.Women who visit a nearby location will see that these machines are set up in a circle to represent the entire circuit. Currently, the company website posts a demo of the 30 minute workout, so that women are able to see exactly what the Curves circuit is like and how it will work their body.As mentioned above, this company is also a resource when it comes to nutrition advice. Women have several different options when it comes to a nutrition plan. There is the 6 Week Solution, which is explained during classes at each location. There are also diet books, which provide complete meal plans and tips on healthy grocery shopping. Finally, there is the complete plan, which is available online.Consumer ReviewsThe company website currently posts a variety of success stories, but we were also able to find some consumer reviews at independent websites. The majority of these reviews were pretty positive. Women expressed appreciation of the design of the quick workouts and some women noted that they often used lack of time as an excuse for not exercising before joining this gym. There was also a lot of positive feedback that these gyms are women only. Several reviewers noted they felt more comfortable working out in this female atmosphere. There were some complaints about the lack of extras at these gyms, but considering that the no frills environment keeps the overall cost down, there were not too many complaints.Positives· Workouts provide strength training and a cardio workout· Company gives diet advice· Positive consumer reviews may be found online· Women only atmosphereNegatives· No frill atmosphere· Men will have to look elsewhereFinal ThoughtsCurves is said to especially appeal to middle age women, but was designed to support the weight loss programs of women of all ages. We do feel that these locations may provide women with fitness and nutrition guidance that they may not find elsewhere. Starting an exercise and diet program may be intimidating, and the benefit of these gyms seems to be that it is already laid out before you with the circuit training and nutrition classes. As mentioned above, these gyms are considered to be pretty affordable, and membership ranges in price from $30 to $50 a month. Women interested in this company may benefit from clicking on the links above, since they lead to additional articles on this subject.
Provillus
If recent media coverage were any indication, it would appear that virtually nobody in the United States has had any success at losing weight. Crash diets, weight loss pills and get-thin-quick gimmicks are more prevalent than ever, yet two-thirds of our population is still overweight. Even more startling is the fact that approximately one-third of the people in our country are clinically obese.
Yet more and more Americans are finding that weight loss success is not only within their grasp, but also actually easier to achieve than they thought possible.
Due to the rapid growth of women-only circuit-training gyms, women in particular are finding that weight loss is an achievable goal. Workouts just for women have become a common sight from sea to shining sea, with the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association reporting that as of July 2005 there were 26,046 health clubs in the United States (a 10.8 percent increase from just six months previous). Women-only circuit training clubs account for more than one out of every three fitness centers in the nation.
Sales at fitness clubs have also been on the rise. In January 2003, the latest figures available, the industry collectively took in $14.1 billion in revenue, a jump from $13.1 billion a year earlier.
Why has the women-only circuit-training exercise model worked so well? The short answer is that it works. Circuit training is a proven exercise system that, for many women, has proven to be more effective than dieting or nutrition programs alone.
The routine at these ladies express gyms is quick and simple, allowing each woman to progress at her own pace. The ladies exercise in a circle, each at a station. They spend 30 or 45 seconds at each station, either working a hydraulic resistance machine or doing aerobics. The entire routine takes 30 minutes.
Pick Up The Pace is one such gym for women that has carefully tracked the success of its members for years. Deanna S., a member of Pick Up The Pace in Libby, MT, lost 14.75 inches in just one month. Kim M. reduced her body-fat by 4.2 percent in just one month at Pick Up The Pace, while at the same time losing 10.75 pounds of fat.
With results like these, it’s easy to see why this fitness center concept has skyrocketed in popularity with today’s average woman. For perhaps the first time in their lives, women are finding that it’s possible to slim down and tone up in only 30 minutes each day.
What many women see as just a great way to achieve some quick weight loss, others see as a business opportunity. Despite the incredible growth of these hydraulic gyms, there seems to be no shortage of customers. As reported by CNN on 1-14-05 “Americans were expected to spend more than $40 billion in 2004 on weight control pills, gym memberships, diet plans and related foods, estimates Marketdata Enterprises, which studies the weight loss industry.” Furthermore, statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that 80 percent of overweight individuals and almost 87 percent of obese individuals are trying to lose or maintain their weight.
As reported by mygoals.com, 80 percent of Americans made a New Year’s resolution in 2005. A whopping 26 percent of those resolutions were to improve overall health and fitness, making this the top category for self-improvement. This year was no anomaly, either, according to Amy O’Connor, deputy editor of Prevention magazine: “Fifty-nine million people every year resolve to lose weight.”
With so many potential customers, many women seek to start their own circuit-training business only to find themselves discouraged by the typical franchise opportunity. They’re finding that a hydraulic gym franchise such as Curves for Women can be expensive, restrictive, and sometimes difficult to purchase.
According to the International Franchise Association, one of the women-only workout franchises recently announced that they are raising their franchise fee from $9,995 to $12,500. Another franchise package costs anywhere from $85,000 to $225,000, including a $36,000 franchise fee and startup cost. Monthly franchise royalty payments, which can range from $395 to $590 per month, place an additional burden on the franchisee. Assuming that the franchise agreement permits the buyer to use the franchise name for 10 years, the gym owner will be paying approximately $60,000 in royalty payments over the franchise term. These figures can scare off many would-be health club owners.
Many women who do opt to open a circuit-training franchise find that the franchise agreement does not grant them the liberty to add amenities as they wish. Many franchise operations restrict their fitness centers by not allowing them to add tanning, nutrition counseling, supplements, vitamins, massage therapy, body wraps or other extras for which ladies are clamoring.
Relying on good old American made ingenuity, many women entrepreneurs are choosing to either open a completely independent workout center or opt for a license package. While going independent carries the inherent risk of having to reinvent the wheel, it still may be the best option for some women. The other option is to capture most of the benefits of a franchise while at the same time avoiding the financial burdens of that system. This is done with a license package, such as the one offered by Pick Up The Pace 30-Minute Workout For Women.
For many women, getting fit, slender and in shape themselves has not only been good for their health but has also prompted them to enter the fitness market as a gym owner. With obesity rates still climbing, this is a trend that may continue for years to come.
If you’re reading this article, then we’re going to assume that you already know you need anaerobic exercise (resistance training) to be truly fit for life. You’re not the average woman. You’re concerned about fitness and you’re probably a member of a health club. More than likely, you hit the gym pretty hard at least three times each week, using all of the fitness equipment and working on your curves.
But are you achieving your weight loss goals? Are you the sexy woman you want to be? You know that maintaining your health and fitness is the surest path to being a beautiful woman, but are you happy with the progress you’ve made so far?
Maybe the problem is that you’ve been doing the wrong exercises the wrong way. As they say, knowledge is power, and if you’re going to achieve true lifetime fitness it’s important to understand exactly what type of resistance (weight) training is best for a woman, how many repetitions (reps) you should do, how many sets you should complete and how often you should exercise.
The purpose of this article is to help you understand that HOW you exercise is critical to your overall physical fitness. In other words, just being on a fitness program will not turn you into Wonder Woman. But being on the RIGHT fitness program will.
Some Women’s Fitness Definitions:
Resistance (weight) training is extremely important for women. Without it, you’ll never be the fitness girl you want to be. Before we continue with this discussion, it’s important for us to pause and define some resistance exercise terms:
1. Resistance Training: Exercise that utilizes progressive resistance movements to build strength.
2. Repetition: An individually completed exercise movement. Repetitions are usually done in multiples. Commonly referred to as a rep.
3. Set: A group of repetitions of an exercise movement done consecutively, without rest, until a given number (or momentary exhaustion) is reached.
4. 1RM: One Repetition Maximum. The maximum resistance with which a person can execute one repetition of an exercise movement.
Example: If you are doing dumbbell arm curls to work your biceps, you start with the dumbbells in each hand and your arms fully extended downward. Keeping your elbows locked at your side, you lift each dumbbell upward by contracting your biceps. When your biceps have lifted the dumbbells as high as they can, your hands will be up close to your chin. This is called the ‘top’ of the movement. To complete the repetition, lower the dumbbells slowly to the starting position. That’s one repetition of dumbbell curls. Resistance training is commonly done in sets of repetitions. In this example, perhaps you’d do three sets of ten repetitions so you would fully complete thirty dumbbell arm curls.
We know that women need to resistance train, and we also have some working knowledge of exactly what resistance training means. With that information fresh in our minds, let’s take a look at the reason why most women don’t train this way.
I Don’t Want To Look Like Arnold!
Many women fear that resistance training (or weight lifting) will make them ‘get big’ or appear bulky. Well, fear not! Engaging in resistance exercise will not make you big or bulky, ladies. Let’s take a look at why.
First and foremost, most women do not have enough testosterone in their system to get huge muscles. That’s the bottom line, and that’s the top reason why you will not ever get huge muscles no matter how much you resistance train. Just about the only way for a woman to get large muscles like a man is to alter her hormonal balance through the use of anabolic steroids that mimic the action of testosterone. If you’re not doing anabolic steroids, you have nothing to worry about.
Secondly, even if you wanted to get huge Arnold-like muscles it would be next to impossible. Right now, this very moment, I can guarantee you that there are millions of men trying to get huge muscles. Very few of them are successful, and men have all the testosterone.
The third reason why resistance training (weight lifting) will not give women big, huge muscles is that women rarely perform lifts that will give them large muscles. There are several different ways to weight train, and most people have no idea how to train to achieve their goals.
If your goal is to have lean, toned muscle without a lot of size, then you should be doing high repetitions with a relatively low amount of weight (resistance). You can lift this way all day long and you will not develop huge muscles. This approach to resistance training will accomplish two things: burn fat and tone muscle. That’s it.
If your goal is to increase muscle size, then you should be lifting relatively heavy weights (resistance) about 6-8 times per set. The weight selected should be about 80% of your 1RM. For example, if the most you could ever bench press once is 100 lbs. (your 1RM), then to gain size you would want to be bench pressing about 80 lbs. 6-8 times per set. Compare this to the training of someone who wants to burn fat and tone muscle. The person who wants to gain muscle size keeps the weight much higher and does fewer repetitions.
Finally, perhaps your goal is to gain extreme strength. An example of this would be a powerlifter. Resistance training to gain strength would require you to lift as much weight as possible, but only one time (one repetition). Obviously, this method will not burn as much fat. It will also not create HUGE muscles, but it will result in some muscle growth above and beyond what most women find appealing.
To summarize, there are three different ways to resistance train and the vast majority of women do not train in such a way that they will end up building huge Arnold-like muscles. Even if you wanted to build large muscles, it is extremely unlikely that you would be able to do so (unless you’re taking anabolic steroids!) because women simply don’t have the same body chemistry as men.
Okay, so let’s summarize the reasons why resistance training will not make women big or bulky:
1. Most women do not have enough testosterone in their system to get huge muscles.
2. Even if you wanted to get huge Arnold-like muscles it would be next to impossible because building huge muscles is not easy.
3. Women rarely perform lifts that will give them large muscles.
The bottom line is that for women to get big and bulky, they would need to very consciously TRY to get big and bulky. It would require a certain type of lifting, a tremendous amount of effort, a certain type of equipment and probably regular doses of steroids. So you see, there really is no danger that any of us will turn into Arnold or Rocky Balboa.
A Positive And Negative Fitness Workout:
There are two movements in any resistance training (weight lifting) exercise. These are called the concentric and the eccentric parts of the exercise, also commonly referred to as the ‘positive’ and ‘negative’.
The concentric (positive) part of the resistance training movement is defined as “Muscle action in which the muscle is shortening under its own power” (Source: Fitness, The Complete Guide; ISSA 2001). Examples would be pushing the bar away from you on a bench press, or lifting the bar towards your chin on a biceps curl.
The eccentric (negative) part of the resistance training movement is defined as “Muscle action in which the muscle resists while it is forced to lengthen” (Source: Fitness, The Complete Guide; ISSA 2001). Examples would be lowering the bar on a bench press, or lowering the bar away from your chin on a biceps curl.
The point to be made here is that the eccentric part of the resistance training movement is the component that will lead to extensive muscle growth. The eccentric (negative) is what actually causes the vast majority of the muscle growth in resistance training. The concentric (positive) tones the muscle.
Female Fitness Tips:
Armed with that background knowledge on the three different ways to resistance train and the two different movements in any resistance training activity, we’re ready to examine how a woman should approach her gym workout. You deserve the best weight loss program possible, and the goal is to help you get the most out of your gym membership.
For women to experience fast weight loss, they must engage in resistance training designed to accomplish that goal. You should be lifting relatively light weight and doing high repetitions. By high, we don’t mean 10-12 either. We’re talking about 60-75 repetitions total, completed in three sets of 20-25 reps per set. Higher repetitions with lower resistance will burn fat and tone muscle, but will not lead to extreme muscle growth.
Women should train often enough to achieve their weight loss goals, which generally means at least three times per week. However, many women want to get into the health club more often than that in order to accelerate their results. The only reason to resistance train less often than every day is concern about muscle damage that can occur with use of free weights or weight stacks. As we already discovered in our discussion of eccentric (negative) and concentric (positive) resistance training movements, it is possible to damage muscle tissue when using free weights or weight stacks.
So when it comes to training frequency, women who are using free weights or weight stacks should keep their resistance training to every other day at most. This will allow the muscle time to recover between workouts and minimize the risk of injury.
To summarize, women on a fitness quest should remember these health club tips:
1. Use relatively low weight, maybe 50% of your 1RM.
2. Do high repetitions. 20-25 reps per set should be about right.
3. Perform at least three sets of each resistance training exercise.
4. If you’re using free weights or weight stacks, train every other day at the most.
Following these suggestions will help you lose weight and tone up without any risk of turning into a muscle woman so huge your kids won’t recognize you.
Recent Comments